PDEA: Sinaloa drug cartel leader's arrest a good sign

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said the capture of the world's most powerful drug lord over the weekend is a good sign for the country's fight against illegal drugs.

Over the weekend, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, head of the Sinaloa cartel, was arrested in Mexico after 13 years on the run.

His organization has been tagged in international drug operations, money laundering and murder.

Last year, Philippine authorities confirmed the cartel's operations have reached the country after a Christmas day raid in Batangas yielded over P420 million worth of shabu.

PDEA Director General Arturo Cacdac Jr. said that with Guzman's arrest, he is expecting a major shakedown in the Sinaloa drug cartel's operations worldwide.

"With Guzman's downfall, he also brought with him his dreaded influence and network. Thus, we expect a major shakedown on the illegal drug trade in the global arena and will definitely affect the presence of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in the country," he said.

Meanwhile, he said he is pushing for an amendment to Republic Act 4200 or the Anti-Wiretapping Law to include drug-related activities in the list of exemptions that will merit court approval to conduct wiretapping as an investigation tool.

He noted that the capture of Guzman was aided by wiretaps in tracking his whereabouts.